Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday highlighted the importance of name the Andaman and Nicobar Islands after the recipients of India’s highest military honour, the Param Vir Chakra, to ensure that their service and sacrifice will be remembered for generations.

“Naming the Andaman and Nicobar Islands after our heroes is a way of ensuring that their services to the nation will be remembered for generations to come. This is also part of our larger effort to preserve and celebrate the memory of our freedom fighters and eminent personalities who left an indelible mark on our nation. After all, it is the nations that stay connected to their roots that move forward in development and nation building,” the Prime Minister said in response to a post on X.

On January 23, 2023, also observed as Parakram Diwas or Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Jayanti, Prime Minister Modi named 21 islands in Andaman and Nicobar after the Param Vir Chakra awardees.

The larger unnamed island was dedicated to Major Somnath Sharma, the first recipient of the Param Vir Chakra, who died fighting Pakistani infiltrators near Srinagar airport on November 3, 1947.

The following islands were named after other honorees in order of recognition.